Mail-pouch closure.



No. 929,599. Patented my 25, |999. W. A. PIATT.

MAIL POUCH CLSURE.

[Application tiled Nov. 15, 1898A (No Model Tm: Norms 21ans co. wo'mumu. WAsmnoToN. u. c..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`W'ALTER ALBERT PIATT, OF PINERIDGE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

MAIL-POUCH CLOSURE.

SPEIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,599, dated July 2 5, 1899. Application filed November l5, 1898. Serial No. 696,540. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: v

Be it known that LWALTER ALBERT PIATT, of Pineridge Agency, in the county of Shannon and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Pouch Closure, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mail-pouch closure which is simple and durable in construction, arranged to securely lock the mouth of the pouch, to permit authorized persons to readily open orclose the pouch, and to prevent unauthorized persons from opening the pouch without breaking the lock.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same, and Fig. is a perspective view of the slide.

The pouch is provided with the usual body A, made of leather or other suitable material and having its neck A doubled up and strengthened, if desired, with a stiffeningplate, of metal, interposed between the doubled-up parts. The head B of the pouch is supported above the neck A' to form a clear opening between the two, said head being carried by staples or brackets O, fastened to the neck A' at the outside thereof, as is plainly indicated in the drawings. The head B is preferably made of leather doubled up similarly to the neck A and likewise strengthened with a metallic plate interposed between the doubled-up portions. The staples or brackets O have their lower ends riveted or otherwise fastened to the neck A', and the upper ends are similarly attached to the head B, so that the middle portions of the staples extend a suitable distance beyond the side faces of the pouch-body, and the head B is supported above the neck A'.

In the space between the neck A' and the head B is tted a slide D for closingthe mouth of the pouch, said slide being preferably made of leather and H-shaped in cross-section, as is plainly indicated in Figs. at and, the middle portion D' extending over the mouth of the bag at the neck A', theside bars D2 being fitted against the outside of the neck A' and the head B within the staples or brackets C, so that the slide can readily move in a lengthwise direction, but is prevented from moving transversely on the pouch. The side bars D2 of the slide are continued at one end into the round portion D3 and abut against one side of the neck A' and the head B. The other end of the slide is'provided at its middle portion D' with anapertured lkeeper I, adapted to be engaged by a hasp J, mounted to swing on a'staple J', pouch, as is plainlyindicated in the drawings. A lock K of any approved construction is adapted to engage the apertured keeper I after the hasp J is in place, lock the slide D against withdrawal by unauthorized persons.

The slide D is locked in place, asillustrated in the drawings, and when it is desired to open the pouch an authorized person first ,unlocks and removes the lock K from the keeper I and then swings the hasp J out of engagement with the keeper to allow the operator to pull the slide D outward by taking hold of the end portion D3 of the slide and pulling in 'an outward direction to cause the slide to move in the guideway formed between the neck A', the head B, and the staples or brackets O. The contents of the pouch can now lbe moved through the open mouth formed by the head B and the neckA, or the pouch can be refilled with mail-matter and then closed by the operator pulling the slide D back to its forward position and locking said slide against Withdrawal by the hasp J and the lock K.

In order to limit the outward movement of the slide, I provide the same with stops I', secured to the middle portion D' a short dissecured tothe body A of the Y so as to securely Y tance inward at the end having the keeper I,

so that when the slide is drawn outward said stops I' finally abut against the side of the neck A' andthe head B to prevent withdrawal of the slidea.

From the foregoing it is evident that vthe pouch can be readily opened or closed by au- IOO thorizedpersons; but the pouch cannot be opened by unauthorized persons unless the locking device for the slide is destroyed or the slide is cut open. If necessary, the slide in both the middle portion and the side members can be strengthened by stiening-strips similar to those in the neck A and the head B.-

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patente l. A mail-pouch closure, comprising a head for the pouch and supported from the head by outside means, to hold said head above the neck and leave a space between the two, and a slide movable in said space, to close the mouth of the pouch, substantially as shown and described.

2. A mail-pouch closure, comprising a head for the pouch and supported from the head by outside means, to hold said head above the neck and leave a space between the two, and a slide movable in said space, to close the mouth of the pouch, said slide being made H-shaped in cross-section, the middle portion extending in the space, the side members tting against the outside of the neck and head of the pouch, substantially as shown and described.

e 3. A mail-pouch provided with a slide made H-shaped in cross-section, the middle portion serving to close the mouth of the pouch, the side members forming guide-arms abutting against the outside of the neck and head of the pouch, substantially as shown and described.

4; A mail-pouch having a head, and means for supporting the head above the neck of the pouch, to leave a space between said head and neck, said means being carried externally by the pouch-body, substantially as shown and described. Y

5. A mail-pouch, comprising a body having a neck, a head above the said neck, staples or brackets attached to said neck outside of the pouch, and a slide iitted in the space between said neck and head, said slide having side members extending along the outside of the neck and head within said staples, substantially as shown and described.

6. A mail-pouch, comprising a body having a neck, a head above said neck, staples or brackets attached to said neck outside of the pouch, a slide fitted in the space between said neck and head, said slide having side members extending alongthe outside of the neck and head within said staples, and limitingstops for said slide, as set forth.

7. A mail-pouch, comprisingabody,ahead, means for holding the head adjacent to the mouth of the body and outof contact there with, a slide comprising side portions and a middle portion, the side portions lying against the outer side of the head and body and the middle portion extending into the space be= tween the head and the body, and means for holding the slide removably in closed position.

8. A mail-pouch having a body, a head at the mouth of the body, means for holding the head on the body and separated therefrom, and a slide having a middle portion movable between the head and body, to close the mouth of the bag, the slide also having side portions engaging the interior of the bag.

WALTER ALBERT PIAT". iVitnesses:

JAMES C. FREEMAN, RALPH P. STANION. 

